Description of Special Education Programs as of September 2017

Project Headway: An inclusion preschool program that is designed to meet the needs of children with global delays and those children on the autism spectrum. In order to qualify, a child must have developmental delays in two or more areas.

Bridge Programs: Grades K-8

The Bridge Program consists of a variety of types of special education classroom /programs. The classes are structured to meet the unique needs of the identified students in grades K-8. There are three types of classrooms in place or in the process of being developed. Each serves students with disabilities that require a high level of support needed to participate in the general education setting and /or intensive instruction/interventions outside of the general education classroom.” (Sept. 2017)

The Bridge Program was originally created as a behavior-based program designed to serve the needs of children with autism who have moderate to severe needs. Over the years it has grown into a program that, in addition, endeavors to serve the needs of children with more global delays as well as those students who are mostly mainstreamed.

When your child is assigned to Bridge, he or she is also assigned to a mainstream classroom where, depending on individual goals and needs, they will spend portions of their day. Some children are able to be almost completely mainstreamed and Bridge functions as a resource room. Others receive 1:1 attention in the Bridge room outside of the mainstream classroom via 1:1’s or Special Education Assistants. The Special Education Assistants are overseen by one Special Education Teacher.

The Compass Program: Grades K-12(formerly Social Skills and TSP/Links)

The Compass Program provides a continuum of support to students with an identified emotional disability that requires therapeutic programming with support utilizing social/emotional and positive behavioral supports and specially-designed instruction unique to each learner. Centered in their individual needs, sound evidenced-based approaches are provided by educators trained to respond to emotional and behavioral challenges. Please note, this is not a behavior program for students wth a primary diagnosis of a social maladjustment disorder.

The Compass Program focuses on increasing self-awareness and positive decision making, while teaching self-regulation, coping skills, and self-advocacy in a least restrictive environment. It provides flexibility within the school day for these students to utilize healthy strategies that meet their current needs, facilitating their access to learning. In turn, it helps them gain insight, stamina and skills to steer their decision making skills in the right direction for future academic, interpersonal and vocational endeavors.” (Sept. 2017)

There are programs at Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and later at the high school. The majority of time is spent in inclusion classrooms.

The Navigator Program: Grades 9-12:
(formerly Life Skills)

The Navigator Program serves students who have substantial multiple disabilities. These disabilities may include, but are not limited to, autism, cognitive/intellectual impairment, physical, sensory, and/or medical. These students require significant support in order to learn and access the curriculum.

The Navigator Program is designed to meet the educational, communication and social needs of students with significant and pervasive needs. At age 14 student’s individual teams will be discussing transition planning goals and will develop a individualized program that helps to build skills and lay the groundwork for the students to make progress at meeting their goal. This goal and transition planning will be discussed minimally every year at the IEP team meeting and will be the focus of planning and individual programming for the students four years in the Navigator Program.” (Sept. 2017)

The Voyager Program: Ages 18-21
(formerly the Transition Program)

“The Voyager Program serves students who have substantial needs with significant disabilities. These disabilities may include, but are not limited to, autism, cognitive/intellectual impairment, physical, sensory, and/or medical. These students require significant support in order to learn and have not achieved Massachusetts state requirements to earn a diploma after four years of high school, and have transition planning forms that outline continuing work on their individual goals.

The students in the Voyager Program continue to require working toward independence in areas such as: daily living skills, vocational training, and functional life skills in order to prepare for being successful members of the community that they decide to join.” (Sept. 2017)

Fun Club Program: Fun Club is an after-school program designed to meet the social skills needs of children in a small-group environment. It is funded by a grant and is available as needed at different schools.